Tuesday, May 13, 2008

The Billion Dollar Behemoth...Again

Pictured above is the latest rendering of Antilla, which for those of the children who don't already know is billionaire MukeshAmbani's under construction residence in downtown Mumbai, India. Yes children, when completed that will a single family residence that rises a staggering 27 floors and includes somewhere around 400,000 square feet of interior space including a reported 40-50,000 square feet devoted to the private quarters of the Ambani family.

If you weren't feeling as pukey as Your Mama has been feeling today, you might after learning that the reported and estimated cost of building this 550-foot tall residential behemoth is between one and two billion dollars.

Please excuse Your Mama while we go vomit in consternation and outrage.

Those children that have been with Your Mama a long time will recall that we discussed this "house" back in January. But given that the folks at Forbes recently posted a juicy and jaw dropping article on the place, Your Mama thought all you real estate porn addicts might appreciate this particular perversion of what constitutes a single family residence.

I still think it is a cool building, though part of me also agrees that it is gluttonous for one family. However, the concept is one that may be copied in high density cities for mixed use or residential projects.

I'm sure I'm in the minority here and probably someone is going to call me a communist or some other nonsense. But...

People can spend their billions however they like but isn't there something grotesque about spending 2 billion dollars on a house when there are so many starving and homeless people in India and around the world?

Certainly a billion dollars would go along ways towards human relief, but these schmucks, because they got $43 billion, think THIS is the best way to spend it?

This is just my opinion, but these people should be ashamed of this kind of vulgarity.

That said, I think it's an appealing building design...and would be a lot more appealing if it were to house 50 families rather than 1.

Let me play devil's advocate and point out the obvious; yes, it is an obscene amount of money & square footage for one family.

That said, it is a stunning architectural achievement, and if this is how the family wishes to spend their money, so be it - one cannot legislate conscience. Also keep in mind that such a public flaunting of conspicuous consumption will likely make this building a target for vandalism, terrorism or worse.

Consider it a design laboratory that can be drawn upon for more reasonable applications such as higher density housing.

When Mama gave us her first look at this monster back in January I kind of liked the architecture and concept,from the outside it's very futuristic and cool,but having now viewed the architects renderings of the various rooms I have the distinct feeling that somebody is overcharging for alot of what looks to me like Louis quelle que chose hotel furniture in Leona Helmsley beige,the traditional lounge and Crate and Barrel meets fake art deco,the modern lounge. For two billion dollars I wouldn't want the Bellagio meets Bollywood.Where are the antiques and the fantabulous art,traditional,modern and Indian that this sort of money could buy? Somebody is charging way too much for a ginko leaf sink and a Chinese crystal chandelier me thinks. I'm going to pull out my favorite Coco Chanel quote again here children,because it's more appropriate than ever before; Some people think that luxury is the opposite of poverty,it is not,it is the opposite of vulgarity.

Everyone actually agrees--tell mama to keep a barf bag handy because this style is jaw dropping, amazing, and more--and all of us children LOVE it. Get over it Mama--were teenagers now--entitled to our own opinions!

How beautiful--and don't get your G-string in a bunch Mama--yes, your bad son in West Hollywood went through your unmentionable drawer last time he was home. And don't jump on me as a deranged weirdo fellow siblings like you all did last time I posted something off kilter--at least I didn't sniff my mama's panties. Anyways, Mama shouldn't have drank so much gin when I was growing up and I wouldn't have to cry out for a spanking on this board.

And, brothers and sisters, neices and nephews, lay off--don't take your "real estate porn" so seriously--you see Mama isn't posting as much these days--she is tired. Mama needs some bad kids now and then to keep her young and virile, I mean Vital.

When Papa Bush gave a state dinner for England's Queen Elizabeth,and George W was a young drug addict he was seated next to her majesty at said dinner.At some point during the festivities he said to the Queen "I'm the black sheep in my family,who's yours?"she replied "none of your damn business".

Minus the parkade, which I find the most offensive part of the whole thing, I still like it architecturally. What a concept.

I am totally disappointed by the renderings. It's a banquet hall.

Oh dear. We could go on all day about obscene money spending. Two presidential candidates State-side gallop to mind, no?

The caste system in India has ensured, for centuries, the entrenchment of social stratification. It maintains balance, and I use that term loosely, and in no way justify it personally. Nonetheless, it is written in stone, understood by all, and strictly adhered to by all levels of Indian society.

Before you all condemn this man for gasp! spending his own money, you should know his family is the most charitible in India. They have given billions over the years. The man is worth 43 billion dollars. That would make the building of his home about 5% of his net worth. What percentage of your net worth or wealth was the building or purchase of you home?

Your argument is shit! Perhaps look at the wealthiest people on the planet & the homes they live in - If they can deal with homes worth mere millions in the most expensive cities on the planet then why can't this dude live in a home worth mere millions in a city like Mumbai. This building is nothing more than a big fuck you to all the people surrounding it who have nothing. And yes, I've been to India several times.

& I think you'll find Lakshmi Mittal is Indias richest man [$56bn] & gives the most to charity & manages to live in a $150M home in the most expensive city on the planet, not Mumbai which is dirt cheap.

I'm with Your Mama on this one all the way. That is a shit sandwich of a building and I don't care who you are and how much money you made off the backs of penniless and penurious paupers, nobody should be displaying their wealth like that, especially in a country with large third world neighborhoods. Is there a vulgar-er word than vulgar? A fool and his money....

Over the top for sure...but that's a billion dollars that went out to contractors,engineers,craftsmen,and laborers.That building will not be able to maintain itself.There will be work for hundreds of people for years to come.

Go India!? LOL I guess he is proud of ONE minor accomplishment - if one could call it that - when you have a country with how many millions are barely eking out a living and are starving? This monstrosity (I wouldn't deign call it a house) is the epitome of gauche ostentatiousness incarnate and brings to mind that old adage: 'Wealth is not always synonymous with taste.'